Measuring hopper



Feb, 5-, 1929.

R. w. MILLER MEASURING HOPPER Filed Aug. 3, 1927 Patented Feb. 5, 192 9.

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ROBERT W. MILLER, OF WATERLOO, IOWA. 7

MEASURING 3023123. 7

Application filed August 3,1927. Serial No. 210,432.

My invention relates to improvements in measuring hopp'ers,and the object of. my improvement is to supplya hopper with removable adjustable division means topermit clifferent materials to be deposited in segregated measured quantities in the hopper to be removed or delivered thence in any manner desired.

This object I have accomplished by the means which are hereinafter described and claimed, and which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which, Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a tiltable hopper supplied with my improved means for subdividing its interior space into adjustably varied compartments, and Fig. 2 is a detail perspective view of one of the division contrivances thereof as detached from the hopper..

' My invention is not restricted to the precise construction and arrangement of parts herein shown and described, nor to the various details thereof, as the same may be modified or rearranged in various particulars without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention, one practical embodiment of which has been illustrated and described without attempting to show all of the various forms and modifications in which my invention might be embodied. V The open top hopper of my invention is of rectangular shape and has a discharge lip or funnel 3 along one side which opens into the interior of the hopper 1 along the entire length of the latter, but an imperforate gate or plate 8 serves as a removable gate or closure for said communication, being scrolled at the top around a longitudinally inclosed rod 9 whose ends project oppositely therefrom to serve as handles extending beyond the sides of the hopper. This plate or gate body 9 is positioned to the rear of the rear portion of a flange 2 which extends all around the upper edge of the hopper as a flatmargin, and the front and rear parts of the flange having therealong respectively an alined row of spaced holes 10, preferably indicating graduated spaces of the interior of the hopper for adjusting a division contrivance therein.

The plate 9 therefore is seated to slide up or down in end grooves or slideways furnished by the said rear flange 2 and the converging parts of the side walls of the delivery funnel 3.

The hopper 1 may be otherwise shaped, and have an outlet otherwise arranged, and the shown with pintles ion opposite sides, upon which may be pivotally mounted arms 5 having terminal furcations 6 between which may be mounted rotatable rollers 7 to travel'up an inclined surface previously to dumping the contents of the hopper byway of its mouth or funnel outlet 3 upon tilting over the hopper by any appropriate means. s

The front longitudinal wall of the hopper has been shown lowerinheight than the space under the rear longitudinal flange 2, but the dimensions may be otherwise. My device may, within scope of its allowable modifications, be used: for .adjustably measuring different ingredients of any desired mixture for a compound. As shown, it is exemplified for use in measuring theingreclients of concrete orthe like, such as cement, sand and broken stone.v Any desired type of division contrivance may be assembled with the hopper and its apertured front and rear flanges 2, such as a plate having end connecting devices for said apertured flanges. I have shown substantially this means, but in the form of a U-shaped plate 11', whose opposite upright walls serve as thedivision contrivance tosegregate at each side thereof spaces or compartments to receive stated quantities of different materials, such as sand and broken stone, the inner space of the U- shaped device 11 being utilized preferably to receive a measured charge of powdered 'are used to insert into the registering holes 14 of the device and the holes 10 of the hopper flanges to secure the device 11 in adjusted position. I

This division contrivance will function successfully in the measuring of a number of different materials differing in unitary pr0- portions, but I have added an element or device suitable for subdividing the interior of the U-shaped device fractionally, .so that .a one half proportion or other fractional different proportions of the material, and a headed or eyed pin 18 is inserted through the holes 1! and the holes 20 of the lugs 19 when in registration as adjusted. The material is then deposited upon the plate 16, the measure whereof is determined by the particular adjustment.

It will be observed, that when the different compartments of the hopper as adjusted have been filled with the measured quantities of the different ingredients, that the whole may be discharged upon tilting the hopper, evac uati'ng such contents through the spout or funnel 3. As the removable parts 11 and 16 are held by their respective pins 13 and 18, they remain in place despite such tilting.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a device of the character described, a hopper having a delivery opening at one end, a removable gate closing said opening, and a U-shaped division contrivance mounted removably and adjustably across said hopper, whereby compartments are'provided at either side of said contrivance Vbeside'that within it. I

2. In a device of the character described,

a hopper having adelivery spout at one end, a removable gate for closing said spout, a di vision contrivance crossing said hopper removably, means for adjustably securing it thereacross, said contrivance being a U-shaped body with open ends, and means removably and adjustably mounted Within said contrivance adapted to variably change its volume for receiving a proportion of an ingredient of'the whole compound of hopper contents.

3. In a device of the character described, a hopper mounted tiltingly, said hopper hav ing a delivery spout, a removable closure closing said spout, a division contrivance re movably seated across said hopper, said hopper having engaging means along opposite ends graduated in their interspaces, and said contrivance having securing means thereon adapted to coengage with any of said engaging means to detachably secure it in ad justed positions thereacross.

l. In a device of the character described, a tiltable hopper having an'outlet at one end, a gate removably seated in the hopper to close said outlet, a U-shaped contrivance with open ends one of which is directed to deliver into said outlet, means for detachably securing saidcontrivance across said hopper adjustably to provide compartments in the hopper of adjustably variedvolumes, another division contrivance removably mounted in the first-mentioned contrivance slopingly to de liver the superincumbentmaterial thereupon to said outlet, and means for releasably securing the second-mentioned contrivance in differently adjusted sloping positions within the first-mentioned contrivance to adjustably vary the volume of the latter fractionally relatively to the related contents of the other compartments of the hopper.

' In testimony whereof I afli'x my signature.

ROBERT W. MILLER. 

